As in most early societies, Mayas and Aztecs were brewing grain-based alcoholic beverages (primarily from corn) long before the Europeans arrived in Mexico – in addition to pulque, an indigenous Mexican beer made from the fermented sap of the agave plant, and the precursor of distilled tequila. But it was the influx of German immigrants and the influence of a brief Austrian rule over the country in the middle of the 19th century that helped cement the art of brewing as an all-Mexican endeavor. Mexico spent four years under Austro-German emperor Maximilian, who apparently never traveled without his brewmasters. As a result, two of the more popular brands of Mexican beer – Negra Modelo and Dos Equis – come from the darker, more malty subset of German lagers known as Vienna style. While not as weighty as most British ales, the Mexican Viennas are fuller bodied with more malt sweetness and character than the pale pilsners.

While at first, most modern brewers were small operations, by 1890, the first substantial, industrial brewing facility in the country was built in Monterrey. Four years later another large brewery opened in Orizaba. The industrialization of the Mexican beer business was on.

Most Mexican beers are produced by the two beer giants, FEMSA and Grupo Modelo. FEMSA is a general beverage corporation whose roots date to back to 1890 and the first large Mexican brewery, Cervecería Cuauhtémoc in Monterrey. With their brands – Tecate , Sol , Dos Equis , Carta Blanca , Superior , Indio , Bohemia and Noche Buena – FEMSA is a major international brewer. Labatt's of Canada (a subsidiary of the Belgian brewer Interbrew) owns 30 percent of FEMSA. Grupo Modelo has fewer brands but a larger part of the Mexican beer export market with Corona, Corona Light , Negra Modelo , Modelo Especial , and Pacífico , their five export brands. They also brew brands intended solely for the domestic market: Victoria (a recent advertising campaign for this brand was centered around the fact that it is unavailable abroad); Estrella (a local beer found only in western Mexico; and León and Montejo (originally local to Yucatán but nowadays available nationwide). Grupo Modelo is 51 per cent owned by Anheuser-Busch but, in accordance with Mexican law, control of the company remains with Modelo.

Corona is the flagship beer of Grupo Modelo. It is a very light lager, and the number one imported beer in the world. Corona is the best-selling non-domestic beer in both the U.S. and U.K. Many say the brand's marketing and easy drinkability account for its success, as most beer aficionados agree that other Mexican lagers such as Dos Equis, Bohemia, Victoria, and Negra Modelo are far superior.

No discussion of Mexican beer or Corona would be complete without mentioning the lime. Serving Mexican beers, especially the light lagers, with a slice of lime, is mostly a marketing gimmick and has no real basis in tradition. In Mexico, the only people who drink beer with a lime are tourists. Outside the tourist areas and among native Mexicans, it's not prevalent at all.